Issue #23 - Drift, Collapse, and the God Who Runs Toward Us
Messy Story of the Week
She didn’t stop believing in God.
She just stopped talking to Him.
Life filled up. Marriage stress. Kids. Work. Even church became something she attended more than something she engaged in. There was no rebellion, no dramatic moment, no slammed door. Just a quiet distance.
And then one night, after a sharp argument and a long, lonely silence, she found herself sitting on the edge of the bed thinking, How did I get this far away?
Not angry. Just tired and a little ashamed, unsure how to come back without explaining everything.
Faithful God, Then and Now
In Luke 15, the prodigal son doesn’t fall all at once. He drifts. He slowly moves away until one day he wakes up in a pigpen and realizes how far he’s gone.
In John 18, Peter doesn’t drift. He collapses. Fear overtakes him, and in a single night he denies Jesus three times.
Two very different failures.
One faithful God.
In both stories, God does not wait for perfect repentance speeches or repaired behavior. He moves toward the brokenhearted. He restores identity, not just access. He rebuilds bridges we think are gone.
That same God meets us now, whether our denial looks like quiet distance or catastrophic failure.
What We Can Learn
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Denial doesn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes it looks like distraction, exhaustion, or spiritual autopilot.
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Awareness often comes after discomfort, not before.
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God’s restoration is not earned by regret; it flows from His character.
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Failure does not cancel calling. It often clarifies it.
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God’s response to our worst moments reveals who He has been all along.
Behind the Curtain
In coaching conversations, I often see people who assume they are farther from God than they actually are. They believe they need to clean themselves up before coming back, not realizing God is already moving toward them.
I also see how often marital tension, parenting stress, and emotional burnout quietly pull people away from God, not because they don’t care, but because they’re overwhelmed. Drift feels safer than collapse, until we realize how lonely it becomes.
Faithful Family Tools
If this resonated, here are a few places to stay connected and supported:
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Faithful Families Free Community on Facebook – encouragement, reflection, and support for marriages and families navigating real life
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Marriage, Mayhem & Mercy Podcast – conversations connecting Scripture to the messy realities of marriage, parenting, and faith. Be sure to catch my conversation with Tiffany Colvin this week, about the Prodigal Son and Peter!
Faith Step for the Week
Instead of asking, “How do I fix this?”
Try asking, “Where might God already be moving toward me?”
Sit with that question. Don’t rush it.
Bible Verse
“Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.”
Psalm 27:10
2-Minute Practice
Set a two-minute timer.
Close your eyes and imagine God not standing at a distance, but stepping toward you. No lecture. No disappointment. Just presence.
If words come, let them.
If silence comes, let that be enough.
Next Week
Next week, we’ll continue this theme by looking at restoration. The robe, the ring, the sandals, and the charcoal fire breakfast Jesus prepared for Peter. We’ll explore how God not only welcomes us back, but restores what we thought was lost and uses our pain for His purpose.
Responses